Findings from the Neglected Driver Survey

This post brought to you by InsuranceHunter. All opinions are 100% mine.

As parents, we often put the needs of our kids first, yet the findings of the Insurance Hunter’s safety survey still surprised me.  The study was conducted online between June 19-23.  There were 1003 randomly selected Ontario parents with kids under 12 who were also members of Angus Reid Forum panel.   

The neglected driver is the parent who makes plans to make sure the kids have breaks and snacks, but ignores their own needs.  This can mean that the driver is driving tired.  In fact, 64% of men admitted to driving when tired. Thirty percent of men and 14% of women have nodded off while driving.  Often, parents don't want to stop driving because they don't want to disturb their children, even when they are too tired to drive safely.  That's scray!  Keeping our kids happy by driving when we need a break is not the answer.  It is just as important, if not more important, to make plans to insure that the driver is taken care of while road tripping.  We have good intentions, but we need to put them into practice in order to keep everyone safe.  

So, here's what I'm taking away from these survey results.  When planning a roadtrip, I'll do a little more planning to be sure that the driver is not neglected.  My husband prefers to drive on long trips, but I prefer to break it up and take turns driving so that we both get to rest for a bit.  I'll aslo talk with my husband so that we  are both aware of the possiblity of becoming a neglected driver.  If the driver is tired, we will take a break, no matter how well the kids are doing.  The kids always welcome a chance to get out of the car and stretch their legs, even if they are not cranky.  

If you'd like more information about the results of this survey be sure to visit Insurance Hunter's Web site.  Insurance Hunter is an online auto insurance comparison site that lets you compare rates and benefits of different insurers so that you can get the best available rate.

 

Getting a Little More Organized

I haven't posted for awhile.  Before, if you hadn't heard from me for some time, it was likely related to my health or depression.  The truth is that lately, I've been busy doing stuff and that's why I haven't written!

My health continues to improve now that I am not taking anti-depressants.  It's been a slow process, but a good one.  I feel better able to cope with things now than I did a year ago.  Seven months medication free :)

I'm trying to do more now. It's all baby steps, but even a small step forward is movement in the right direction! Things have crept up on me around the house and I'm trying to take care of things slowly but surely. With the kids back in school, it's a little easier for all of us to have a routine. So far, we're a week into the school year and we are making the kids' lunches after supper. The kids have to help to pack their lunches and help decide what they'll eat. I find that if they have input into what goes in their lunch bags, they are more likely to eat the food. It helps when they can't say, "I didn't like it."

My youngest started off the first week by picking out her clothes the night before as well, but this hasn't happened for the last couple of nights. I'll have to remember to remind her tomorrow night. It makes for a calmer morning when there's no decision making pressure.

I'm also trying to involve the kids more in keeping the house tidy and preparing meals. I ask them to do age-appropriate chores, but my little one is good at disappearing when asked to do something. Today, she flat-out refused to empty the cutlery from the dishwasher, so we had a chat about how everyone needs to do their part to take care of the house. It can be a bit of a battle. I think we'll do more choices in the future. You can empty the cutlery from the dishwasher, or you can pick up the recycling. Something to help her feel like she has some power.

My next goal is to do some menu planning. I'm not sure the best way to go about it, but I've been looking for some ideas. Someone was telling me about once-a-month cooking and it sounded interesting. I'm not ready to jump in with both feet, but I'll do some more research. I think if I knew what was for dinner every night, it would reduce some of my stress too. So, that's me right now. Feeling better, smiling more, and getting a little more organized. One day, I may actually have my stuff together.